GRM 54.7
The Gospel as revealed to me
Quotation
To obey the Law is to be united to God and that increases our capabilities.
Notes for this theme
New Testament
Page 42 of 189
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GRM 54.7
The Gospel as revealed to me
Quotation
«I would like to ask one thing…»
«What, Andrew?»
«John told me about the miracle You performed at Cana… We were hoping so much that You would perform one at Capernaum… and You said that You would not perform any miracles before fulfilling the Law. Why Cana then? And why here and not in Your own fatherland?»
«To obey the Law is to be united to God and that increases our capabilities. A miracle is the proof of the union with God, as well as of God’s benevolent and assenting presence. That is why I wanted to perform My duty as an Israelite, before starting the series of miracles.»
«But You were not bound to fulfil the Law.»
«Why? As the Son of God, I was not. But as a son of the Law, yes, I was. For the time being, Israel knows Me only as such… and, even later, almost everyone in Israel will know Me as such, in fact, even less. But I do not want to scandalise Israel and therefore I obey the Law.»
«You are holy.»
«Holiness does not bar obedience. On the contrary, it makes obedience perfect. Besides everything else, there is a good example to be given. What would you say of a father, of an elder brother, of a teacher, of a priest who did not give good examples?»
«And what about Cana?»
«Cana was to make My Mother happy. Cana is the advance due to My Mother. She anticipates Grace. Here I honour the Holy City, making her, in public, the starting point of My power as Messiah. But there, at Cana, I paid honour to the Holy Mother of God, Full of Grace. The world received Me through Her. It is only fair that My first miracle in the world should be for Her.»
Keywords
GRM 54.8
The Gospel as revealed to me
Quotation
Blessed are those who are sincere and persistent in their will. You are all blessed. You are more than relatives to Me, because you are My children and My brothers, not according to the blood, that dies, but according to the will of God and to your spiritual wishes. Now I tell you that I have no closer relative than those who do the will of My Father, and you do it, because you want what is good.»
The vision ends in this way.
Keywords
GRM 55.1-2
The Gospel as revealed to me
Quotation
«It is a long way, it is a dark night, the Roman patrols are around the town. I say: stay with us, if you wish.»
«Oh! Master!» Thomas is happy.
«Make room for him. And each of us will give something to our brother.» Jesus gives him the portion of cheese He had in front of Him. He explains to Thomas: «We are poor and our supper is almost over. But there is so much heart in those who offer.» And He says to John who is sitting beside Him: «Give your seat to our friend.»
John gets up at once and sits down at the end of the table near the landlord.
«Sit down, Thomas, and eat.»
55.2 And then He says to them all: «You will always behave like that, My friends, according to the law of charity. A pilgrim is already protected by the law of God. But now, in My name, you must love him even more. When anyone asks you for some bread, a drop of water or a shelter in the name of God, you must give it in the same name. And you will receive your reward from God. You must behave so with everybody. Even with your enemies. And that is the new Law. Up until now you were told:
“Love those who love you and hate your enemies”. I say: “Love also those who hate you”. Oh! if you only knew how much you will be loved by God, if you love as I am telling you! And when anyone says: “I want to be your companion in serving the true Lord God and following His Lamb”, then he must be dearer to you than a brother by blood, because you will be joined by an eternal bond: the bond of Christ.»
«But if someone comes who is not sincere? It is easy to say: “I want to do this or that”. But words do not always correspond to the truth» says Peter, rather irritated. I do not know why, but he is not in his usual jovial mood.
«Peter, listen. What you say is sensible and fair. But, see: it is better to exceed in bounty and trust rather than exceed in distrust and hardness. If you help an undeserving person, what harm will befall you? None. In fact, God’s reward will always be active for you, whereas the person will be guilty of betraying your trust.»
«No harm? Eh! Very often a worthless person is not satisfied with ingratitude, but goes much further, even to the extreme of ruining one’s reputation, wealth and one’s very life.»
«True. But would that diminish your merit? No, it would not. Even if the whole world should believe in slander, even if you became poorer than Job, even if the cruel person should take your life, what would change in the eyes of God? Nothing. Or rather, something would change. But to your advantage. God, to the merits of your bounty, would add the merits of your intellectual, financial, physical martyrdom.»
«Alright! Perhaps it is so.» Peter does not speak any more. He sulkily rests his head on his hand.
Detail
Jesus addresses Thomas, then gives a lesson on hospitality.
GRM 55.2
The Gospel as revealed to me
Quotation
Up until now you were told: “Love those who love you and hate your enemies”. I say: “Love also those who hate you”. Oh! if you only knew how much you will be loved by God, if you love as I am telling you!
Keywords
GRM 55.2
The Gospel as revealed to me
Quotation
When anyone asks you for some bread, a drop of water or a shelter in the name of God, you must give it in the same name. And you will receive your reward from God. You must behave so with everybody. Even with your enemies. And that is the new Law. Up until now you were told:
“Love those who love you and hate your enemies”. I say: “Love also those who hate you”. Oh! if you only knew how much you will be loved by God, if you love as I am telling you! And when anyone says: “I want to be your companion in serving the true Lord God and following His Lamb”, then he must be dearer to you than a brother by blood, because you will be joined by an eternal bond: the bond of Christ.»
«But if someone comes who is not sincere? It is easy to say: “I want to do this or that”. But words do not always correspond to the truth» says Peter, rather irritated. I do not know why, but he is not in his usual jovial mood.
«Peter, listen. What you say is sensible and fair. But, see: it is better to exceed in bounty and trust rather than exceed in distrust and hardness. If you help an undeserving person, what harm will befall you? None. In fact, God’s reward will always be active for you, whereas the person will be guilty of betraying your trust.»
«No harm? Eh! Very often a worthless person is not satisfied with ingratitude, but goes much further, even to the extreme of ruining one’s reputation, wealth and one’s very life.»
«True. But would that diminish your merit? No, it would not. Even if the whole world should believe in slander, even if you became poorer than Job, even if the cruel person should take your life, what would change in the eyes of God? Nothing. Or rather, something would change. But to your advantage. God, to the merits of your bounty, would add the merits of your intellectual, financial, physical martyrdom.»
GRM 55.3
The Gospel as revealed to me
Quotation
One day I will grant a greater purity… One day the sealed tombs will violently expel those who are really dead, and they will appear and laugh with their empty eye sockets, with their bare jaws, because of the rejoicing of the souls freed from Limbo, a remote rejoicing and yet perceived even by skeletons. They will appear to laugh because of this liberation and to throb knowing it is due to…
GRM 55.4
The Gospel as revealed to me
Quotation
«I beg you all never to discuss merits and positions. I could have been born a king. I was born poor, in a stable. I could have been rich. I lived with My work and now I live out of charity. And yet, believe Me, My friends, there is no one greater than I in the eyes of God. Greater than I am, Who am here: the servant of man.»
«You a servant? Never!»
«Why not, Peter?»
«Because I will serve You.»
«Even if You served Me as a mother serves her child, I have come to serve man. I will be a Saviour for him. What service is there like that?»
GRM 56
The Gospel as revealed to me
Detail
Near the ford of the Jordan, Maria sees Thomas, Jude of Alphaea and Simon the Zealot. They've been waiting for Jesus at this spot for three days, and Jude assures them that if his cousin has promised to meet them here, he will. Jude talks about his connection with Jesus, explaining that he is his cousin, that he was Joseph's favorite, and that he grew up very much at the side of the Virgin Mary. The man from Nazareth also tells of the divisions in his family, but now he wants to follow Christ. He just regrets that fathers can be their child's enemy. Simon the Zealot sighs at this remark, but Thomas reveals that his father encouraged him to follow the Messiah.
Jesus finally arrives. Jude then reveals his intention to follow his Master, and Christ welcomes him: he also confirms to him that it is indeed permissible to follow the Lord, for "there is nothing above God."
After complimenting Thomas on his obedience and faithfulness, Jesus turns his attention to Simon the Zealot. He asks him to follow him, and the two discuss his kinship, his father and his illness. The Master then unites Simon the Zealot and Jude, one childless because of his infirmity, the other having lost his father in following the Lord. For the time being, however, he gave each of them a mission. Thomas is to evangelize in Judea. Jude is to evangelize Nazareth. Peter, James, John, Andrew, Philip and Bartholomew return to their boats in Capernaum and Bethsaida.
GRM 56.2
The Gospel as revealed to me
Quotation
One of the six said to me, when the Master was going away amid the acclamations of the crowd, after the miraculous healing of a crippled beggar, who was healed at the Fish Gate: “We are now going out of Jerusalem. Wait for us five miles between Jericho and Doco, at the bend of the river, along the road in the woodland”. This one. He also said: “We will be there in three days’ time at dawn”. This is the third day, and we have been here before dawn.
Detail
Thomas talks with Jude and Simon and says to them: